There are a lot of different factors that have contributed to the three-game winning streak that has put the Cincinnati Bengals back in the AFC playoff race, but the emergence of rookie wide receiver Mohamed Sanu and fourth-year running back Cedric Peerman has been especially key.

Sanu was on the field for just 18 of 406 snaps and zero catches through the first six games, but he has11 catches for 98 yards and four touchdowns in the past three games — the last two of which he has started.

“He’s been awesome in the red zone,” offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said. “Against zones he has a great feel for finding the holes, and against man-to-man he’s got a big body where he can create separation for himself. He’s everything we hoped he would be, it just took us too long a time to figure it out I guess.”

Peerman, who had six career carries prior to this year, has rushed 22 times for 157 yards in wins against the Giants, Chiefs and Raiders. Even without his 32-yard gain on a fake punt at Kansas City, Peerman is averaging 6.0 yards per carry while spelling starter BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and is a big reason why the Bengals have rushed for 410 yards in their last two games.

“When you show you’re contributing and people are noticing that, it feels good,” Peerman said. “(Green-Ellis) helps me out. He goes out there first, and he’s telling me what he’s seeing and what the defense is doing. He’s a selfless player, and he’s a team guy. He’s been a great addition.”

Double triple

Sunday’s win against Oakland gave the Bengals a three-game winning streak for the second time this season. They also won three in a row against Cleveland, Washington and Jacksonville in September.

It’s the seventh time in franchises history the Bengals have had multiple winning streaks of three games or more in the same year, although only three of those seasons led to playoff berths.

The most recent came in 2009 when the Bengals had win streaks of three and four games on the way to a 10-6 record and the AFC North championship. They had a pair of four-game streaks in 2005 en route to an 11-5 finish and the AFC North title. And they had win streaks of six and three in 1988 on the way to a 12-4 season that ended with a loss to San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIII.

The 2006 team had streaks of four and three and finished 8-8. The 1996 team had a pair of three-game streaks and finished 8-8. And the 1976 team had streaks of three and five on the way to a 10-4 finish.

Big boots

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Sunday’s Oakland-Cincinnati game was only the third in NFL history in which both teams had field goals of 55 yards or longer.

The Bengals’ Mike Nugent kicked a career-long 55-yarder on the final play of the first half, and the Raiders’ Sebastian Janikowski connected a 55-yarder in the third quarter.

Both of the other two occurred in Denver. The first was on Oct. 17, 2010, when Denver’s Matt Prater kicked a 59-yarder and the New York Jets’ Nick Folk booted one from 56. On Dec. 11, 2011, Prater was a part of the feat again with a 59-yarder to go along with a 57-yarder by Chicago’s Robbie Gould.